This was our first really full day of touring around, and Ruth and I set off early (at least Barcelona early) about 9am to visit the Gaudi Casa Batllo http://www.casabatllo.es/.  This amazing house was occupied by a family early in the 1900s and Gaudi was commissioned to do all the renovation and architectural work on it.  It sits on one of the main thoroughfares in Barca and look something like a ride in Disneyland.  We toured the inside and it was picture-taking heaven for Ruth…the whole ambiance is like a water dream…soft blues and muted greens and sand colors…textures on the walls and fixtures remind me of sea creatures  and the use of natural light is breathtaking. There are literally no straight lines anywhere – walls are gently curved, door frames are wavy and doors embedded with glass and framed by leaded glass patterns that reflect toned light into the adjoining rooms.  The terrance off what was the dining room and the rooftop terrance both are adorned with intricate glass mosaic work typical of Gaudi – colorful, whimsical, beautiful.  Later in the day we got to see more Gaudi installations but this was my favorite.

In the evening, Eitan and I decided to split ranks with Andrew and Ruth and we walked all the way from our apartment in the Eixample to Las Ramblas – really only a 20 minute or so walk, but I was shocked at truly how accessible the center of things is from many parts of the city. It was on this little adventure that we discovered the crazy tradition of the hidden character in the nativity scenes that sprout up all over the city in preparation for Christmas and Three Kings Day. We walked through a large display in one of the plazas and as we exited there was a statue of a man relieving himself under a tree! The nerve!

And as we wandered through Las Ramblas we noticed many shops had every conceivable character – soccer players, politicians, even the Three Kings – taking a leak or a dump…ready to be placed in a nativity scene of your choice. Bizarre – but hysterical! While the Spanish Catholics do take their religion seriously they obviously understand that being human is, well – human.

Eitan was fast becoming a Metro expert so I let him get us back via the subway. Ruth and Andrew decided to get pizza, brew and tiramisu (the latter became Ruth’s sweet of choice this trip – can you blame her?). This was very full day – and very rewarding.